Disclaimer: Probably not for dudes. Unless you liked The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (1974 version, of course. Jessica Biel is kinda a twat and ruins every movie she is in.), but even then, things could get dicey.
I just got home from spending four days in LA.
Four days of jamming way too many important events into way too little of a time frame.
Regardless, it was an amazing time, with some of my best friends in the world, not to mention, my very first trip to LA.
It was so fun. Way warmer than the negative -20 windchill I left behind in Ohio. And, since I traveled without my normal entourage of very small people, I was able to drink it up at each and every meal without the stares of the public condemning me for doing body shots off the abs of gay strippers while wearing my nursing bra.
We went to the beach, danced to Gaga, clinked glasses at every meal, and out of engorged desperation, I am even pretty sure I breastfed Allison’s cat (I am clearly way classier than Her Bad Mother).
LA was the balls, I was sad to leave it behind.
It was on the connecting flight back east that I knew something was up.
I was sitting there, trying not to vomit because I am a firm believer that flying in airplanes goes against nature (hello!? Only Jesus is allowed to float and eat peanuts in the sky), and I totally had to pee, which I dreaded because two hours into my four hour flight, I saw a lot of questionable, and probably disease ridden people come and go out of that little bathroom. There was no doubt in my mind that toilet seat was covered in drops of hot pee and pubic hair.
But, in my pants, things were getting weird.
You know when you are sitting there, and you’re feeling kinda crampy, and then you start to get this hot leaky feeling? The, oh shit I think I totally just started to menstruate, feeling?
I had that.
So, I waited for, like, three billion more people to hepatitis-up the porta potty, and finally made my move, before the fucking douche bag teenager with the iPod could beat me to it. God knows how long she was going to be in there rocking out to the Twilight soundtrack, while she got off carving Edward’s name into her thigh with a safety pin from her combat boots…or maybe that was me…I don’t know…the details are irrelevant…I was potentially bleeding, people, from my vagina, 5 miles above the Earth.
So, there I was, hovering above a wet tin toilet seat in the sky…bleeding.
Fuck.
This was bad for four reasons.
1. I haven’t had my period since July 2008, and I totally forgot how it works.
2. I brought two pairs of panties to LA, and I wasn’t wearing either of them.
3. I had nothing that resembled a tampon or pad.
4. I was bleeding FIVE MILES ABOVE THE EARTH. I cut my leg shaving while on vacation in Colorado once, and the altitude made it impossible for it to clot, and my knee bled for two whole days. I am shocked I didn’t need a transfusion. What if the lack of cabin pressure caused me to bleed out? How do you put a tourniquet on your labia? Are post 9/11 flight attendants even trained for this important shit anymore?
Probably not.
The terrorist win, again.
Well, I couldn’t very well return to my seat and just bleed through my jeans. And, there was no where near enough toilet paper left to fashion a maxi pad. So, I did the only thing I could think of, and ripped the sign off the back of he door that says “Prevent the Spread of H1N1. Please Wash Your Hands,” folded it up a few times, and stuck it, strategically, between my lady parts, and waddled back to my seat to eat peanuts.
I am pretty much Bear Grylls.
As soon as I landed for my connection in Chicago, I ran as fast as I could, while keeping my thighs together, to the rest room, bought a tampon, yanked out the paper sign, cleaned up the mess, and shoved a tampon up there, the way God intended.
Gonna be honest, the bloody sign wouldn’t even flush, but you know what, at that point, it’s not my problem any more.
I flew home to Ohio both happy and not leaking, with the words “Spread H1N1″ delicately transferred to the inside of my labia.
I’m like the CDC…in need of a brazilian.









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Don’t planes usually have pads in the bathroom? I thought they did.
Hope you didn’t get a paper cut on top of all that… though I’m sure you wouldn’t have noticed that!
Ahahahaha that’s the funniest thing I’ve read all week! Pretty bad ass move there. I wouldn’t have even thought of using the sign and probably would’ve sat on the diseased toilet crying. Genuis, yo.
Should I even ask about the whole breastfeeding the Sanch?
You lucky bitch. I got my period on Dec 31…..only 3 mos after having Jonah. And I’m still breastfeeding full time. However, I started mine on a treadmill, not quite so traumatic:)
This also means you’re for sure fertile again!
I confess, I never would have thought about putting sign in my pants for any reason.. YOu are like a female, bleeding McGyver.
Also, next time you are here, you damn well better call me. I’m so bummed I missed you.
I’m terrified of plane restrooms and what’s lurking in there. You never know what’ll crawl up in the ol’ vajayjay and stay with you for a while.
Take a trip down here to the South. Everyone here has a baby attached to them and is knocking back the drinks. No judgement from us!
This was a laugh-out-loud kinda post. People were staring at me as they walked by my office b/c I was insanely giggling. So thanks for that…
this was too fucking funny.
It’s amazing how that shit can catch you off guard when you’ve been on the mommy period break. Quick thinking!
OMG, you are a fucking NUT!!
I’ve had to fashion a maxi-pad out of toilet paper before. That’s NEVER a good day.
omg!!! that is the most hilarious story I have ever hear!!!!
the teenager carving Edward into her thigh…or was that me—baaaaaaahaaaaaaaa!!!!!!!
Loved this one Britt. Loved.
i just wet my pants. TOTALLY WORTH IT.
OMG! That. Is. HILARIOUS!!!
Holy Crap! I hate it when that happens. You know what really sucks. When there is NOTHING to use to stop the flow and you resort to drastic measures and take off a sock and use that until you can find some place to purchase a tampon. I’m not saying I’ve done that but I totally have.
I thought I was the *only* one! Thanks for making me feel un-alone in the universe!
LMFAO that was great!
Thank you, Mom, for teaching me how to make ghetto tampons out of tissue/toilet paper.
I think baby jesus was punishing you for not wearing underwear. And, I bet you whoever saw that bloodied sign left in the bathroom has pictures of it plastered all over facebook with a resounding EEWWWWW caption.
That story was TOO funny.
In girl scouts we tell the girls to “use their resources wisely.”
Absolutely.fucking.hilarious! So glad I decided to pee BEFORE I read this or I would have wet my pants!
Britty B!!!!
I miss you!!!!
You never cease to amaze me…or make me LMFAO – at work!!! :O)
H-I-larious post doll face!!!
XOXO
oh, NO! i’m always ill prepared too… even when i regularly got a period. in highschool i once (or twice…) left a distinct red puddle in my seat. ew.
I totally think you are right about the bleeding starting because you are on the airplane and the altitude or some shit like that. I used to travel a lot for work and I would always start on a plane, like two days early, when I was completely unprepared. And one time I did bleed through my khakis before I realized what was going on, so I totally tied my jacket around my waist and high tailed it out of the airport hoping that no one would see.
I will NEVER look at the sign the same way again. In fact, I may never use the restroom in a plane again. Who am I kidding, I am the peeing machine, maybe I will just wear a diaper….or a sign.
Oh my freaking gosh Brittany. You did it again. Violent laugh so hard until my belly hurts. Awesome.
Holy Shit woman! You are like a menstruating McGyver!!
Lady you got balls, yo! I laughed so hard I snorted!
I haven’t had a period since November 2006 (IUD). Thanks for the flashback of menstruation hell.
–>That was the funniest thing I’ve read in a long time. Bear Gryllis had me laughing out loud.
Oh, congrats on NOT BEING PREGNANT too!
http://www.websavvymom.com
No words.
Really.
Very funny! I never would have thought of that – never! Your way clever!!
the thing you failed to mention is the common denominator of this weekend and July 2008- HEATHER! The woman clearly has pheromones stronger than mother nature!
Um, I hate to tell you this now, after the fact, but there’s usually a tiny cabinet in the airplane bathroom where they keep feminine hygiene products for just these types of emergencies. Or at the very least, a place where they stash barf bags, which might have also worked.
Ooh, how great would that be? “How I fashioned a homemade Diva Cup out of an air sickness bag.” Awesome!
I SOOO needed this!! Unfortunately, I will need more like it every day for about the next six months. But this one may last a few days, it was awesome!!
Long time reader, first time making a comment.
OMG!
Could you imagine if they used those new body scanners AFTER a flight and they saw your improvised Swine Flu paper pad on it? You would definitely be pulled into a tiny room for further questioning for fear that you had something explosive in your knickers…oh wait…you weren’t wearing knickers!
i was so totally going to say “if you used a diva cup you would’ve been prepared” but see someone already mentioned fashioning one out of a barf bag
thanks for making me snort water out of my nose as i read this post. it was good for my soul.
Oh mah god. I have to admit though I totally was laughing out loud as I read this whole thing and my husband obviously thought I was losing it. Which I probably am. I’m still laughing thinking about what went through someone’s head when they came across a bloody H1N1 Sign in the toilet!
Oh dear…I’ve been off since July of 08 at as well…TOTALLY going to start carrying tampons around with me NOW!
I feel a little bad about sneezing on that sign now…
You are like the female version of Macgyver. And my hero.
I’m pretty sure that’s how you get swinegina.
I just recently started reading your blog and love it. This post has to be my very fave so far!!!
OMG… there isnt anyone funnier than you.. I can totally picture that whole scene though I am NOT sure I want to!!!
Fucking hysterical. I adore you.
Sadie at heymamas
Oh NO! I have been there and rolled up enough toilet paper into a ball that when I sat down, my feet didn’t touch the ground because my Vay_J-J was balancing on a ball of wet toilet paper like an exercise ball.
Sigh.
Men just don’t even come CLOSE to knowing what we go through do they?
Well I guess the good news is you were allowed to get up and use the bathroom with all the new rules they’ve put in place. Seriously, that was one of the funniest things I’ve read this week..thanks for making me laught out loud!
Bwaaahahahaha! I just read 3/4 of this post OUT LOUD to my husband. Fucking hilarious.
Why the fuck didn’t you breastfeed ME? Now I’m all hurt.
Holy shit, I had no idea! Now I’m terrified to fly during my period.
Don’t they have pads on planes? Stupid cheap asses.
hysterical! It’s been a while since I felt that ominous feeling, and I know that I wasn’t on a plane the last time, but I love the way you deal with it!
You know this is exactly why I refuse to fucking fly. My period hates me and would totally come while flying just to piss me off. I don’t know, I think some evil witchdoctor cursed me for the rest of my life (aka my mother). My fear is that I’d end up sitting there leaking blood all over the place and have to call over the flight attendant once we landed and say
”Dude, I think someone spilled a murder over there in that seat….which I was NOT sitting at, and didn’t manage to see anything, although I’m pretty sure the killer was carrying a bottle of liquid…how the FUCK did you people let HIM THROUGH SECURITY!”
I think it’s best for everybody that doesn’t happen. And FYI you totally handled that a million times better than me. xx
LOL and OMG! How does one respond to that?!
Dude, you are the most creative person on the planet! That would never have occurred to me.
I can just picture this happening in my mind while Bear Grylls narrates.
“Trapped. 5,ooo miles in the air. Barefoot Foodie would have to do the unthinkable to survive. Some of these images might be troubling to younger viewers. And what you are about to see should only be done in EXTREME circumstances.”
Ahh, yes nothing like a cold hard slap in the face to shake you from your fabulous care free girls weekend. Mother Nature is one sick sick lady.
But you are hilarious… and I don’t think there is a woman out there that hasn’t faced down that same fear at least once.
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